Doing dishes

I have to have music or be thinking about a book plot or talking to someone in order to be comfortable doing dishes; I already know how to wash dishes. I've already done the work of optimizing in my mind and in practice what order to wash in, how to stack them most creatively, most efficiently, tallest, most stable. I've already broken some. I've even already spent hours staring at soap bubbles and wondering about the colors on them and why when a sunken bottle sends out bubbles one at a time the bubbles are all the same size and fit together all hexagonally. I don't want to race to do it; setting a timer isn't motivating but rather makes me want to slow down. I have to distract myself in some way in order to do this very routine task. I raised seven children, for Pete's sake! I'm not incapable. It's just... boring. I'm even (mostly) over the gross and wetness of the job. I'd rather do things that require thought and concentration and innovation, problem solving. So maybe I can set myself a mental task and think it through while doing dishes.